Abstract

Experimental support of the optimal diet for maintaining bone health through adulthood into the late decades of life has not been fully established, but several guiding reports on this important aspect of the prevention of skeletal fractures have been published in recent years. An important caveat, however, in determining such a relationship is that diet alone is only one of many lifestyle factors that contribute to healthy bone tissue.

Although this review focuses on the benefits of healthy eating habits for maintaining optimal bone status, other healthy behaviors, especially having regular physical activity and not smoking, also have beneficial effects on the functions of the skeleton. A decline in physical activity by adults has been established to lead to greater losses on bone mass and bone density. Healthy eating practices is the focus of this review rather than of nutritional supplements, such as of calcium and vitamin D, which have only a limited role in the prevention of fractures, as they are not needed when a diet of high nutrient quality is consumed. Our opinion is that nutrient supplements should only be taken when a physician prescribes them for an established clinical deficiency.